Electric clock.



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

H. SCOTT.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

' [me/afar k 7 Wiinesses Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT SCOTT, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,323, dat d Sep ember 20, 1904.

' Application filed May 4, 1903. Serial No. 155,530. (No model.)

To ally/hone it may concern: Be it known that I, HERBERT SooTT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bradford, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to electric clocks, instruments, or machines in which a pendulum,

balance-wheel, or torsion -wheel driving a train of wheels or other mechanism is kept in motion by the intermittent action or energization of electrically-controlled or electromagnetic means and to the class of such apparatus in which the electromagnet is energized when the swing or amplitude of the pendulum, balance-wheel, or torsion-wheel falls below the normal.

My invention has for its objects to simplify and cheapen the construction and to insure the reliability of such clocks, instruments, or machines by providing for the energization of the electromagnet at the proper time and the actuation of a toothed part by a single pawl engaging the toothed part and carrying a circuit-closer and controlled by the movement of the pendulum, balance-wheel, or torsionwheel, the pawl and toothed part having stepped engaging parts, whereby the friction of the working parts is reduced to a minimum, and to provide for accurate opening and closing of the circuit when the amplitude or swing of the pendulum or oscillating movement of the balance or torsion wheel falls below the normal during the smallest and most efiicient part of the are described by the pendulum-wheel or torsion-wheel, and to provide for the self-cleaning of the contact-points by means of a wiping or moving contact.

My invention is applicable to clocks, selfregistering barometers, and the like, workmens telltale check instruments, advertising machines or toys, or any similar instruments or machines in which a train of wheels or any other mechanism is required to be driven, and may also be employed to wind up the spring of any instrument or machine or of the striking-train of a striking-clock.

My invention includes various features of construction and of combination of parts, as will appear from the particular description hereinafter contained of the apparatus embodying my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and I will now particularly describe such apparatus and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure l is a rear elevation of apendulumclock containing apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation showing a position of parts upon a diminished movement of the pendulum.

The clock shown comprises a suitable casing a, in the lower part of which is located a battery b, which supplies electric current to an electromagnet 0, this electromagnet being fixed in the clock-casing and being adapted to I attract an armature (Z and the armature being carried at the lower end of and constituting part of a pendulum of which the rod 0 is hung at its upper end on a stud f, as usual. The fixed electromagnet 0 and its armature d, carried by the pendulum, constitute the impelling means which give an impetus to the pencircuit is closed at the exact moment when the armature approaches the electromagnet and remains closed for the period required to give the desired impetus to the pendulum, and the arrangement shown is such that the cirdulum, the construction being such that the cuit is closed and opened as the pendulum approaches the extremity of an oscillation.

A suitable train of gears is provided to actuate the hands 9 and Za -(see Fig. 2,) and this train of gears is actuated by a toothed moving part, which is shown as the ratchet-wheel i,

fixed upon the arbor j of the first pinion of the train of gears, and this ratchet-wheel is actuated by the pendulum and constitutesthe driving part of the clock-train. For the purpose of actuating the ratchet-wheel I provide engaging means for the ratchet-wheel, such engaging means being partly controlled by the movement of the pendulum or oscillating means and partly controlling the ratchetwheel to prevent backward movement thereof, and this engaging means comprises a driving-pawl is, actuated by the pendulum, and also comprises a stop-pawl or click m, having a fixed support. The ratchet-wheel or toothed part and the driving-pawl have stepped engaging parts, and in the embodiment of my invention shown each tooth of the ratchetwheel has a step or notch i. The drivingpawl is pivoted upon the pendulum-rod e and carries a contact-finger g, which is adapted to make contact with a fixed pin 7", held on an insulating-block s. The contact-pin 7" is connected to one of the terminals of the battery b by a wire 25, and the other terminal of the battery Z) is connected by a wire a to the electromagnet 0 and from the electromagnet c is connected by a wire 4; to the metallic frame w, so that when the finger q comes in contact with the pin 9 the circuit is closed through the electromagnet 0, and the electromagnet is energized. With the normal swing of the pendulum the driving-pawl k will be moved over and in rear of a tooth of the ratchet-wheel i and will be moved clear of the step of the tooth, so that it will fall to the bottom of the tooth and on the return stroke of the pendulum will engage with the tooth and move the ratchet-wheel one tooth, and these movements will be continued without closing the circuit, the stop-pawl or click an preventing backward movement of the ratchet-wheel 71. When, however, the swing oi'thependulumdiminishes,sothatthedrivingpawl 70 is not carried over and in rear of the step or notch vlof the next tooth of the ratchetwheel, the driving-pawl will rest on this step, and the parts will then be in the position shown in Fig. 3, and on the return stroke of the pendulum the driving-pawl will ride upon the step of the ratchet-tooth and, by reason of its higher position, the contact-finger 9, carried by it, will be brought into contact with the fixed pin 7 as the armature (Z on the pendulum approaches the electromagnet 0, and the circuit will be closed at just the right time to give an impetus to the pendulum and will be opened at the proper time and before the completion of the swing of the pendulum. The return movement of the pendulum will cause the driving-pawl is to drop in rear of the ratchet-tooth, and on this return movement there will be no contact of the contactfinger q and fixed pin 1-, and the pendulum will have received a sufiicient impetus to restore the normal swing, and the advance pawl will be carried over the neXt tooth, and the movement will be continued, as first above described, until the swing of the pendulum again falls below the normal. The movement of the contact-finger q efiects a wiping contact with the fixed pin 0, thereby rubbing the contact-points and preventing fouling thereof. The fixed contact-pin 1' may be acljustably held in any suitable manner, so that the points and duration of contact may be nicely determined, as by providing the screw 8, which clamps the insulated block 8 to the frame, with a slotted hole in the frame, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a toothed movable part and mechanism actuated thereby, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a driving-pawl for the toothed part, the movement of the driving-pawl and toothed part and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the toothed part being controlled by the oscillating means and the toothed part and pawl having a stepped engagement, and a circuitcontroller for the impelling means,such circuit-controller being controlled by the driving-pawl.

2. The combination, with a ratchet-wheel, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a driving-pawl for the ratchet-wheel, the movement of the driving-pawl and ratchet-wheel and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the ratchet-wheel being controlled by the oscillating means and the ratchet-wheel and driving-pawl having a stepped engagement, and a circuit-controller for the impelling means, such circuit-controller being controlled by the driving-pawl.

3. The combination, with a toothed movable part, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a driving-pawl for thetoothed part, the movement of the driving-pawl and toothed part and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the toothed part being controlled by the oscillating means and the toothed part and pawl having a stepped engagement, a stoppawl for the toothed part, and a circuit-controller for the impelling means, such circuitcontroller being controlled by the drivingpawl.

4. The combination, with a ratchet-wheel and mechanism actuated thereby, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a drivingpawl for the ratchet-wheel, the movement of the driving-pawl and ratchetwheel, and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the ratchet-wheel being controlled by the oscillating means and the ratchet-wheel and driving-pawl having a stepped engagement, a stop-pawl for the ratchet-wheel, and

a circuit-controller for the impelling means,

such circuit-controller being controlled by the driving-pawl.

5. The combination, with a toothed movable part and mechanism actuated thereby, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means i'or the oscillating means, a driving-pawl for the toothed part, a circuitclosing finger carried by the driving-pawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, the movement of the driving-pawl and ratchet-wheel and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the ratchet-wheel being controlled by the oscillating means and the ratchet-wheel and driving-pawl having a stepped engagement, a stop-pawl for the ratchet-wheel, and

' circuit-completing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means.

7 The com bination, with a toothed part having stepped teeth and mechanism actuated thereby, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a driving-pawl for the toothed part, a circuit-closing finger carried by the drivingpawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, the movement of the driving-pawl and toothed part and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the toothed part being controlled by the oscillating means, and circuit-completing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means.

8. The combination, with a ratchet-wheel having stepped teeth, of oscillating means, electrically-controlled impelling means for the oscillating means, a driving pawl for the ratchet-wheel, a circuit-closing finger carried by the driving-pawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, the movement of the drivingpawl and ratchet-wheel and the movement of the driving-pawl relatively to the ratchetwheel being controlled by the oscillating means, a stop-pawl for the ratchet-wheel, and circuit-closing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means.

9. The combination, with atoothed part and mechanism actuated thereby, of a pendulum, electrically-controlled impelling means for the pendulum, a driving-pawl for the toothed part, the movement of the driving-pawl and toothed part and the movement of the drivingpawl relatively to the toothed part being controlled by the pendulum, and the toothed part and pawl having a stepped engagement, and a circuit-controller for the impelling means and controlled by the driving-pawl.

10. The combination, with aratchet-wheel, of a pendulum, electromagnetic impelling means for the pendulum, a driving-pawl for the ratchet-wheel and carried by the pendulum, the ratchet-Wheel and pawl having a stepped engagement, a circuit-closing finger carried by the driving-pawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, and circuit-completing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means. v

11. The combination, with a ratchet-wheel, of a pendulum, electromagnetic impelling means for the pendulum, a driving-pawl for the ratchet-wheel and carried by the pendulum, the ratchet-wheel and pawl having a stepped engagement, a stop pawl for the ratchet-wheel, a circuit-closing finger carried by the driving-pawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, and circuit-completing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means.

12. The combination, with a ratchet-wheel having stepped teeth, of a pendulum, electromagnetic impelling means, for the pendulum, a driving-pawl for the ratchet-wheel and carried by the pendulum, a stop-pawl for the ratchet-wheel, a circuit-closing finger carried by the driving-pawl and adapted to make a wiping contact, and circuit-completing means adapted to cooperate with the circuit-closing finger to control the impelling means, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT SCOTT.

Witnesses:

ROBERT TARR, JNo. WM. SHELDON. 

